For some reason, my drivers side rear door wont open. When i hit the lock/unlock button, the lock knob wont move and I can't open the door from inside or outside of the car.

Anyone know if the door panel can come off from inside the car with the door shut? I'm not sure how to proceed. Anyone had this happen before?

Thanks,

PISNUOFF

03-17-09, 10:03 AM

Are you sure it's not frozen? How about manually unlocking it then trying to open? Here's how you would remove the panel if you absolutely have to.

Remove the lock knob by popping open the 'door' (Be VERY careful, cheap plastic damages easy) with a small screw driver. Remove the screws behind the pull bar. The rest is just popcorns around the perimeter. You pull the panel inboard to release the popcorns and then lift it up to remove it from the weatherstrip at the top. There is also a separate retainer at the 'sharkfin' (the highest and most forward part of the panel), use a thin plastic tool to insert between the sharkfin and the door itself and twist to release the retainer from the door. It will be difficult to get the ones near the instrument panel.

deedubb

03-17-09, 10:09 AM

Definitely not frozen, It doesn't see the outside when its that cold :)

When i lift the handle from the outside, it acts and feels just as a locked door would. When I lift the lock knob from the inside, the whole knob comes off so it appears that the bar that the knob connects to has come off the knob itself.

FYI, this is the rear door that is stuck.

PISNUOFF

03-17-09, 10:13 AM

OH. Use a pair of needle nose plyers to push down on the rod (it has threads on the top part of it) and lock the door. Then unlock the door with the rod while making sure it doesn't hit the pad and actually unlocks. The door should then be able to be opened. This used to happen at the factory when the person would install the doorpad with making sure the rod came through the hole first. You may have some difficulty getting it through the hole.

deedubb

03-17-09, 10:14 AM

Ok, i'll give it a shot. Thanks for taking the time to help me!

PISNUOFF

03-17-09, 10:32 AM

Be carefull not to drop the rod inside the doorpad. It'll swing inside the door and you'll be removing the pad to get it out, or bending a coathanger and going fishing. If it does fall inside, you will be able to unlock the door using the power lock and open the door. Just a pain in the a$$ to remove the doorpad. Especially if you don't have to. PM me and I'll try to walk you through installing a new lock knob.

rand49er

03-17-09, 10:45 AM

Had a similar problem with the passenger rear door when I first got my car in Jan '05. Haven't noticed it since.

deedubb

03-17-09, 11:40 AM

sweet, I got it fixed. I assume when the window tinters put the panel back on, they pushed the threaded wire for the lock knob between the door frame and the door panel. I stuck a screw driver in there and pryed it forward again to its right place and put the knob back on. Worked great!